Back in the 1980s, Michael Jordan and Mike Tyson were undisputedly two of the biggest sports stars on the planet.
While Jordan was dominating on the court for the Chicago Bulls in the NBA, heavyweight boxer Tyson was making a name for himself inside the ring.
There was a time however when two of the biggest athletes in the world almost came to blows back in 1989. In 1987, Tyson began dating actress Robin Givens, with the two going on to get married the following year.
But their marriage lasted just a year, with the pair divorcing in 1989 after an acrimonious separation. Givens cited spousal abuse and domestic violence as the reasons for the divorce.
However, a few years prior to marrying Tyson, Givens had d ated Bulls star Jordan, something which did not sit well with the boxer when they attended a party together in Chicago in 1988.
According to Tyson’s manager at the time, Rory Holloway, the boxer, whilst drinking his cocktail of choice – a Long Island ice tea – told Jordan: “Hey man, you think I’m stupid? I know you f***ing with my b****”, referencing the basketball star’s prior relationship with Givens.
Writing in his memoirs ‘Taming the Beast: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson’, Holloway said: “I’m telling the server to water his drinks down ‘cause I see where this is going. Mike stares across the table at Michael Jordan.
“‘I know you messed with her,’ Mike says. ‘You can tell me.’ Jordan, it’s obvious he just wants to get up and run. He wants no part of this.
“It was a circus, for real, that night. Don King trying to change the subject. Me and John trying to hold Mike down. Mike telling everyone he’s going to bust Jordan’s ass.
“Jordan’s dressed sharp as always and he can’t get out of there fast enough.” Who could blame him.